Benjamin boys are Class 1A track and field state champions once again.

Big-time performances across the board on the state's biggest stage cemented Benjamin's third straight state championship, and head coach Barrett Saunders says that this might be the sweetest one yet.

"It's incredible," Saunders said. "All of them are special, but this one was special because I think everybody counted us out. For them to come out and not only win but dominate the way they did, I think this one is pretty special."

The Bucs' boys program dwarfed the competition, tallying 89.5 points across the day's events, nearly doubling that of Indian Rocks Christian (48), whom Saunders mentioned going in might give them a good run.

There were podium finishes abounding, but gold-medal finishes from Jackson Hamilton, Robert Letsche, Michael Winfield and Julian Luiz — as well as the program as a whole for its contributions in the winning 4x400 relay run — helped the Bucs stamp their mark on the championship meet.

"We had a great group this year," Saunders said. "A great mixture of seniors and younger guys, and they pretty much all came out here and stepped it up and had the performances of their lives when it mattered most. That's the definition of a championship team."

The Benjamin girls (34) were the top local team at Jacksonville this year, claiming fourth at states, with Oxbridge Academy (32) hot on their heels in the fifth spot. Pahokee (27) rounded out Palm Beach County representation in ninth, while the Blue Devils' boys program (20) secured tenth.

State Results

Girls Long Jump

• Maxine Dalton, sophomore, Benjamin – 5.321 meters, 5th place

• Octavia Massena, senior, Oxbridge Academy – 5.22 meters, 8th place

Boys Shot Put

• Jackson Hamilton, senior, Benjamin – 17.16 meters, 1st place

Boy Long Jump

• Jacob Cosby-Mosley, senior, Benjamin – 6.67 meters, 7th place

Girls Discus Throw 

• Kori Haggard, senior, Benjamin – 37.26 meters, 2nd place

Boy Javelin Throw

• Bradley Cooper, senior, Atlantic Christian – 51.30 meters, 2nd place

Boy Pole Vault

• Robert Letsche, senior, Benjamin – 4.35 meters, 1st

• Micah Griffith, senior, Benjamin – 3.90 meters, 7th

Girls Shot Put

• Kori Haggard, senior, Benjamin – 10.86 meters, 7th place

Boys Discus Throw

• Jackson Hamilton, senior, Benjamin – 51.29 meters, 1st place

• Landon Rapkiewicz, junior, Benjamin – 43.88 meters, 6th place

Girls Triple Jump

• Octavia Massena, senior, Oxbridge Academy – 11.74 meters, 1st place

• Maxine Dalton, sophomore, Benjamin – 11.03 meters, 5th place

Boys Triple Jump

• Jacob Cosby-Mosley, senior, Benjamin – 13.77 meters, 5th

Boys 4x800 Relay

• Benjamin – 8:02.78, 4th place

Girls 100 Hurdles

• Julia De Gruttola Aere, junior, American Heritage-Delray – 15.25, 4th

Boys 110 Hurdles

• Jacob Cosby-Mosley, senior, Benjamin – 14.96, 2nd place

• Julian Luiz, sophomore, Benjamin – 15.13, 5th place

Girls 100 Dash

• Akari Marshall, sophomore, Oxbridge Academy – 12.10, 3rd place

Boys 100 Dash

• Larry Warren, sophomore, Pahokee – 10.92, 4th

Girls 4x100 Relay

• American Heritage-Delray – 49.26, 3rd

• Pahokee – 49.52, 4th

Boys 4x100 Relay

• Pahokee – 42.44, 3rd

• Benjamin – 43.17, 8th

Girls 400 Dash

• Jamaria Richardson, freshman, Pahokee – 56.60, 2nd

• Jordan Johnson, freshman, Pahokee – 57.22, 3rd

• Akari Marshall, sophomore, Oxbridge Academy – 57.50, 5th

• Octavia Massena, senior, Oxbridge Academy – 57.56, 6th

Boys 400 Dash

• Michael Winfield, junior, Benjamin – 48.48, 1st

• Joe Licata, sophomore, Jupiter Christian – 48.58, 2nd

• Da’Corrian Jones, freshman, Pahokee – 49.87, 5th

Girls 400 Hurdles

• Sam Woods, junior, Benjamin – 1:05.84, 7th

Boys 400 Hurdles

• Julian Luiz, sophomore, Benjamin – 54.28, 1st

• David Chuckwu, junior, Atlantic Christian – 56.16, 5th

• Joshua Luiz, senior, Benjamin – 56.71, 8th

Girls 800 Run

• Sofia Balistreri, sophomore, Benjamin – 2:12.89, 2nd

Girls 200 Dash

• Akari Marshall, sophomore, Oxbridge Academy – 24.24, 2nd

Girls 4x400 Relay

• Pahokee – 3:58.60, 2nd

• Benjamin – 3:59.95, 3rd

• American Heritage-Delray – 4:03.39, 7th

Boys 4x400 Relay

• Benjamin – 3:19.90, 1st

• Pahokee – 3:23.66, 4th

• Atlantic Christian – 3:28.52, 8th

Full boys results

Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin 89.5

Indian Rocks Christian 48

Chaminade-Madonna 37

Winter Garden Foundation Academy 36

Melbourne Central Catholic 26

Blountstown 23

Pensacola Christian 21.5

Cambridge Christian 21

Naples First Baptist 21

Pahokee 20

Palmer Trinity 20

Melbourne Holy Trinity 19

Providence 18

Sarasota Out-of-Door 17

Moore Haven 16

Mount Dora Christian 16

Southwest Florida Christian 16

Westminster Academy 16

Orlando Christian Prep 15

Orangewood Christian 14

Shorecrest Prep 14

Atlantic Christian 13

Academy at the Lakes 11

Faith Christian 11

Ocala Trinity Catholic 10

Wewahitchka 10

Winter Park Geneva 9.5

Gainesville Oak Hall 9

Jupiter Christian 8

Oviedo Master's Academy 8

Tallahassee North Florida Christian 8

Community School of Naples 6

Hamilton County 6

South Florida HEAT 6

St. Stephen's Episcopal 6

Florida Christian 5

Admiral Farragut 4

Bradenton Christian 4

Tallahassee Community Christian 4

Jefferson County 4

Wildwood 4

Fort Myers Canterbury 3.5

John Carroll 3

Tallahassee Maclay 3

Riviera Prep 3

Santa Fe Catholic 3

Bell 2

Paxton 2

Rocky Bayou Christian 2

University Christian 2

Lakeland Victory Christian 2

Bishop Snyder 1.5

Zephyrhills Christian 1.5

Circle Christian 1

Mayo Lafayette 1

Marathon 1

Individual results

Discus:

1. Hamilton (Benjamin) 168-3

2. Williams (Providence) 153-7

3. Cavallero-Howard (Indian Rocks Christian) 150-9

Shot put:

1. Hamilton (Benjamin) 56-3.75

2. Jones (Blountstown) 49-10.50

3. Tupua (Pensacola Christian) 48-6

Pole vault:

1. Letsche (Benjamin) 14-3.25

2. Percival (Pensacola Christian) 14-3.25

3. Carr (Mount Dora Christian) 13-3.50

High jump:

1. Schick (Mount Dora Christian) 6-3.50

2. Stallworth (Master's Academy) 6-3.50

3. Forness (Orangewood Christian) 6-1.50

Triple jump:

1. Azunque (Naples First Baptist) 46-11.50

2. Spellman (Faith Christian) 45-4.25

3. Crumity (Shorecrest Prep) 45-3

Long jump:

1. Woulard (Melbourne Central Catholic) 24-1.50

2. Shrode (Orangewood Christian) 23-2.75

3. Crumity (Shorecrest Prep) 22-9.25

100:

1. Bronaugh (Foundation Academy) 10.51

2. Woulard (Melbourne Central Catholic) 10.85

3. D. Smith (Chaminade-Madonna) 10.88

110 hurdles:

1. Demosthenes (Orlando Christian Prep) 14.78

2. Cosby-Mosley (Benjamin) 14.96

3. Waters (Chaminade-Madonna) 15.00

200:

1. Bronaugh (Foundation Academy) 21.19

2. N. Smith (Academy at the Lakes) 21.71

3. D. Smith (Chaminade-Madonna) 21.78

1600:

1. Stark (Palmer Trinity) 4:16.76

2. Pena (Westminster Academy) 4:18.59

3. Young (Indian Rocks Christian) 4:23.55

800:

1. McFadden (Trinity Catholic) 1:54.67

2. Martin (Cambridge Christian) 1:54.73

3. Halton (Providence) 1:56.35

400:

1. Winfield (Benjamin) 48.48

2. Licata (Jupiter Christian) 48.58

3. Wright (Hamilton County) 49.17

400 hurdles:

1. Ju. Luiz (Benjamin) 54.28

2. Acevedo (Moore Haven) 54.64

3. Waters (Chaminade-Madonna) 55.65

3200:

1. Stark (Palmer Trinity) 9:18.02

2. Berry (Indian Rocks Christian) 9:27.27

3. Gyurka (Out-of-Door) 9:28.28

400 relay:

1. Chaminade-Madonna 41.42

2. Foundation Academy 41.92

3. Pahokee 42.44.

1600 relay:

1. Benjamin 3:19.90

2. Southwest Florida Christian 3:20.97

3. Indian Rocks Christian 3:22.60

3200 relay:

1. Holy Trinity 7:51.71

2. Indian Rocks Christian 7:54.53

3. Cambridge Christian 7:56.20.

Full girl results

Admiral Farragut 46

Palmer Trinity 43.5

Tallahassee Maclay 43

Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin 34

Oxbridge Academy 32

Evangelical Christian 30

Fort Myers Canterbury 29

Melbourne Holy Trinity 28

Pahokee 27

Indian Rocks Christian 24

Oviedo Master's Academy 22

Gainesville Oak Hall 21

Shorecrest Prep 20

Foundation Christian 20

Pensacola Christian 17

Merritt Island Christian 14

Seven Rivers Christian 14

Tampa Prep 13.5

Bishop Snyder 13

Delray Beach American Heritage 13

Northside Christian 13

Naples First Baptist 12

Ocala Trinity Catholic 12

Father Lopez 11

Mount Dora Christian 10

Lakeland Victory Christian 10

St. Petersburg Canterbury 9

Lakeland Christian 9

Cambridge Christian 8

Foundation Academy 8

Winter Park Geneva 8

Moore Haven 8

St. Petersburg Catholic 8

Chaminade-Madonna 7

Wildwood 7

Divine Savior 6

Faith Christian 6

Tallahassee North Florida Christian 6

Marathon 5

Melbourne Central Catholic 5

Providence 5

Gulf Coast HEAT 4.5

Rocky Bayou Christian 4

Baker 3

Highlands Christian 3

Seffner Christian 3

Village School 2

South Florida HEAT 1

Southwest Florida Christian 1

St. Stephen's Episcopal 1

University Christian 1

Westminster Academy 1

St. John Neumann 0.5.

Individual results

Discus:

1. Willis (Trinity Catholic) 124-11

2. Haggard (Benjamin) 122-3

3. VanZwieten (Merritt Island Christian) 121-0

Javelin:

1. Kasica (Shorecrest Prep) 147-3

2. VanZwieten (Merritt Island Christian) 141-10

3. Moyer (Indian Rocks Christian) 126-1

Shot put:

1. Anderson (Mount Dora Christian) 39-10

2. Moyer (Indian Rocks Christian) 38.0

3. Brewton (Father Lopez) 37-2.50

Pole vault:

1. Dowdy (Maclay) 12-4.50

2. Flores (Geneva) 10-43

3. Pickles (Tallahassee NFC) 10-4

High jump:

1. Nuce (Northside Christian) 5-1.75

2. Guilhem (St. Petersburg Catholic) 5-1.75

3. Wagner (Fort Myers Canterbury) 5-1.75

Triple jump:

1. Massena (Oxbridge) 38-6.25

2. Forde (Tampa Prep) 38-6

3. Johnson (Faith Christian) 37-3.25

Long jump:

1. Bing (Bishop Snyder) 18-9.50

2. De La Nuez (Fort Myers Canterbury) 18-6

3. Newman (Naples First Baptist) 18-1

100:

1. Travis (Evangelical Christian) 11.65

2. Collins (Holy Trinity) 11.91

3. Marshall (Oxbridge) 12.10.

100 hurdles:

1. Sadler (Palmer Trinity) 14.63

2. Camposano (Palmer Trinity) 14.85

3. De La Nuez (Fort Myers Canterbury) 14.87

200:

1. Travis (Evangelical Christian) 24.05

2. Marshall (Oxbridge) 24.24

3. Liverpool (Chaminade-Madonna) 24.78

1600:

1. Gear (Foundation Christian) 4:52.84

2. Wyant (Master's Academy) 4:59.63

3. Couch (Maclay) 5:01.08

800:

1. Gear (Foundation Christian) 2:11.51

2. Balistreri (Benjamin) 2:12.89

3. Wyant (Master's Academy) 2:13.73

400:

1. Travis (Evangelical Christian) 55.06

2. Richardson (Pahokee) 56.60

3. Johnson (Pahokee) 57.22

400 hurdles:

1. Burgess (Admiral Farragut) 1:03.46

2. Sims (Admiral Farragut) 1:04.27

3. Sadler (Palmer Trinity) 1:04.29

3200:

1. Couch (Maclay) 10:56.20

2. Kasper (Cambridge Christian) 11:00.60

3. Summers (Seven Rivers Christian) 11:03.02

400 relay:

1. Holy Trinity 48.08

2. Fort Myers Canterbury 48.70

3. Delray Beach American Heritage 49.26

1600 relay:

1. Admiral Farragut 3:54.34

2. Pahokee 3:58.60

3. Benjamin 3:59.95.

3200 relay:

1. Oak Hall 9:28.68

2. Admiral Farragut 9:38.93

3. Pensacola Christian 9:39.36

Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Benjamin boys track wins FHSAA track and field state championship again